Social

As India battles the Covid-19  pandemic, fifteenth finance commission chairman NK Singh on Tuesday said the commission was working towards a financing model to raise federal public-health spending to about 2.1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) over the next five years. The NK Singh-led finance commission for the first time will devote an entire chapter on public health financing when it submits its final report, which is under preparation , he said. On Tuesday, Singh led a brainstorming session on the country’s health sector and the current Covid-19 pandemic…

New Delhi: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the ‘group on infrastructure’ with railway minister Piyush Goyal and environment minister Prakash Javadekar seeking to expedite clearances for several pending highway and infrastructure projects. The road transport and highways minister raised the issue of outstanding forest clearance for 187 highway projects. It was also noted that many of the projects had not yet applied for Stage II forest clearance. Environment minister Javadekar was asked to direct the forest officers posted in states to follow and implement the…

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 4 announced that the  launch of a challenge to facilitate members of the Indian tech and startup community in creating world-class ‘Made in India’ apps. “To help our start-up and tech community achieve this objective, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology along with Atal Innovation Mission are coming up with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Innovation challenge. This shall run in two tracks: Promotion of Existing Apps and Development of New Apps.” The challenge aims to promote those who may have the  such a working product or if feel they have the…

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) for clinical trials of indigenous vaccine for the coronavirus disease. BBIL is using the virus strain isolated at ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to develop the vaccine. The clinical trials will be held in 12 institutes across the country. The ICMR has asked these institutes to fast-track clinical trials of the vaccine as it is being considered as one of the “top priority projects” which are being “monitored at the…

Ladakh: PM Modi said that the resolve for self-reliant India is strengthened because of the bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers. On a visit to Ladakh designed to deliver a loud message to China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told soldiers posted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that the courage they had demonstrated had sent a message to the entire world. Addressing soldiers of the XIV Corps deployed in Ladakh, PM Modi said tales about their valour were being spoken in every house across the country. “The enemy has seen…